


Make the World Go Away

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s07e18 Requiem, F/M, First Time, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Political, Pre-Episode, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-24
Updated: 2008-08-24
Packaged: 2019-05-30 11:44:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Post- "Election Day 2". CJ seeks comfort.





	Make the World Go Away

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Make the world go away  
Get it off my shoulder  
Say the things you used to say  
And make the world go away

Do you remember when you loved me  
Before the world took you away  
Well if you do, then forgive me  
And make the world go away

Make the world go away  
Get it off my shoulder  
Say the things we used to say  
And make the world go away

Now I'm sorry if I hurt you  
Let me make it up to you day by day  
And if you will please forgive me  
And make the world go away

Make the world go away  
Get it off my shoulder  
Say the things we used to say  
And make the world, make it go away.

 

Danny hears a knock at the door and is slightly surprised. He certainly wasn't expecting company at 10:30 on a Wednesday night. He sets his glass of brandy down on the coffee table, sets aside his laptop and goes to the front door of his apartment to see who is calling. He pulls the door open to a large black man he immediately understands is from the Secret Service.

 

"Good evening, sir. Jared from the U.S. Secret Service. May I take a look around?"At Danny's nod of approval, he begins to survey the apartment and Danny gets a glance at the man's shaken-looking protectee. " All clear, sir. Thank you."Jared nods to CJ to let her know it is safe to enter and steps out into the hallway.

 

"I…I…I don't know why I'm…here," CJ stutters awkwardly. "I can't…explain it."

 

"That's all right. I don't need an explanation," Danny assures her softly. "I'm glad you're here. Do you wanna drink?" Danny removes CJ's jacket and scarf and hangs them in the small hall closet.

 

"Yeah, that sounds good," CJ sighs in relief.

 

"Take a seat on the couch there. Brandy or wine?"Danny makes his way to the kitchen and pours two glasses of wine for them before returning to the couch beside CJ.

 

"I'm so sorry about Leo. I know you were close." Danny whispers in honest sincerity and hands her a glass and settles into the couch.

 

"I think I'm still in disbelief. I haven't slept in days. With the election and Leo and everything in Kazakhstan…it's like I'm being torn in ten thousand directions. I've hardly been able to process it all. I just kept thinking, I'm all alone. I can't talk to anyone about this without over-burdening them. The President is simply lost, Margaret's eyes are red as a fire engine and I've got basically no close family. I can't call Toby, Josh is trying to help ease Santos through everything, and I've alienated all my old friends the last few years by leaving a million unreplied phone calls, e-mails and invitations." CJ drains the wine and tips her head back.

 

"So I'm your last resort?" Danny's face makes a lop-sided grin.

 

"Forget it. I'll just go…"CJ, not having accepted Danny's light humour, begins to rise.

 

"No," Danny takes CJ by the elbow and eases her back onto the couch. "I'm glad to be a resort at all. Would you like to talk about it?" Danny's voice is low and calm, the one comforting beacon on her darkest nights at sea.

 

"I don't know what I want," CJ admits in exasperation. " I'm tired of thinking, of constantly worrying. I'm absolutely exhausted from being constantly stressed. I just want to be on auto-pilot, to not have to make a decision that could affect the whole world or possibly defame the greatest hero in my life. Or maybe the problem is I have to get off auto-pilot. I've been dragging my feet for too long to count. I want to smile again, to laugh, to really enjoy life. All I do is work and force myself to get enough re-charge to do it all day after day. I need to start feeling again."

 

"You're in serious need of White House detox," Danny agrees.

 

"But I can't. Everybody the President ever trusted on his staff with the exception of Charlie has abandoned him. I can't possibley cop out now. I made a vow…I…jumped off a cliff."CJ knows she's just rambling, Danny doesn't understand. Well, he doesn't know what she's referencing, but his eyes reveal that he understands her frustration.

 

"So don't leave. Wait it out another ten weeks. But don't keep living like this. No offence, but you look positively lost. Let's find you again." His voice is airy but confident, knowing but hopeful.

 

"Only if you can take away everything's that hiding me. Take away the world." CJ doesn't believe it can happen. She hasn't thought of her own well-being (that wasn't solely for the benefit of being physically able to do her job every day) in ions.

 

"I can't take it away, but I can make the world go away for a while," Danny tells her seriously, tracing her jaw with his index finger and bringing his lips intimately close to hers.

 

CJ leans in the rest of the way to touch their lips together. "I'd settle for a slow down." And she finally gives into the urge to forget about her responsibilities and surrender to Danny's intoxicating kiss. Instead of stopping herself after twenty or thirty seconds, CJ allows herself to explore everything she'd had to leave to the imagination for almost a decade.

 

Danny's hands dip underneath the back of her sweater until he realizes what he's doing and painfully forces himself to break away. "Wait. Maybe we shouldn't be…"

 

"Remember our first year when we got that Sex Ed report? You told me there were better things ahead. I wouldn't let myself desire those things with you because I was afraid it'd compromise our professionalism. Well I'm ten weeks away from being freed from this 'glorious prison' and you've got too much integrity to write about scandals anymore, and I'm damn sick of the conflict of interest holding me back. I need this right now. I need to know there's something worth living for that isn't my career. I just want to affirm that I can still really live." Suddenly the doubt and helplessness from her eyes earlier has disappeared. Danny has no doubt that CJ truly wants this.

 

"As long as you're sure." He gives her one more out before taking one of her hands in his and using the other one to manoeuvre them into a horizontal position. He's waited nearly ten years for this moment and has to give into his instinct to show her how much she means to him.

 

"You got a bed back there somewhere?"CJ leans back with an open, sly smile, the most genuine one she's had in months.

 

"Not one nice enough for you, but it'll suffice," Danny shrugs, sitting up.

 

"What does that mean?" CJ laughs out loud.

 

Danny takes her by the hand and leads her to the back of the apartment where his bedroom and bathroom are located. "I'm just not used to lady guests. And I kinda wanted this to be perfect. My apartment is nothing spectacular."

 

"You've thought about this?" CJ asks, slightly surprised. She knows Danny has been pining for her, but she didn't know just how much he truly cares about her.

 

"Only every day since I met you on the campaign trail," Danny admits, opening the door for CJ.

 

The bedroom isn't spectacular, just as Danny had warned her, but it has a relaxed, lived-in look that feels comforting to CJ. She's lived in her apartment for years and still has boxes she's never unpacked. She doesn't think she's ever even used the kitchen table. Danny's dark green comforter and folded over green cotton sheets couldn't look more inviting.

 

Danny turns around and is immediately taken into CJ's arms. Her hands travel down his chest and begin tugging his blue sweater over his head.

 

"Hey, where's the fire? You've got no place to be tonight but here. Let's slow down and enjoy," Danny suggests softly with his signature sultry smile.

 

CJ inhales sharply and then releases, nodding. "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess…It's just been a while."

 

Danny laughs knowingly and takes CJ's hands in his own. "I know what you mean." He sits on the end of the bed and leads CJ to do the same. "I just need you to know how much I care about you and…"

 

CJ brings a finger up to Danny's lips to stop him. "Not today. There will be plenty of time in the future to figure this all out. Tonight I just need you." She can't figure out the status of their relationship or make declaratory statements of love or envision the future tonight. Tonight she needs to forget everything but how he makes her feel in the moment.

 

· * 

Breathing heavily and flushed with satisfaction, CJ eases off cloud nine and slowly floats back to reality on earth, closing her eyes and inhaling the scent of her new lover beside her.

 

"Are you okay?" Danny asks breathily, leaning over CJ's relaxed nude body on the bed.

 

An utterly content grin appears on CJ's face, and Danny commends himself for putting it there. It had been far too long since he'd seen CJ smile. "Just grand."

 

Danny lets out a low chuckle, props himself up on one elbow and snakes his free arm around CJ's torso, never wanting to loose contact with her soothingly warm skin. He had dreamed of this night for what seemed like an era, but even his wildest dreams couldn't compete with the reality. He had done nothing, yet the most beautiful and incredible woman in the world to him was lying in his bed. "So you think there might be encore presentations of this on future occasions?"

 

CJ laughs her signature throaty laughs. "I see someone is getting rather needy and presumptuous. You know I've got another ten weeks before I'm a free woman who can tend to those needs regularly."

 

"What's ten weeks after almost ten years? I told you I'd wait forever, and I still mean it. I'll take whatever you can give." Danny berates himself for pushing. He finally got her here and he shouldn't say anything to scare her off.

 

CJ grows serious and averts her eyes. "Danny, it won't always be like this. At least I don't want it to be. I don't know exactly what will come of us, but I'm beginning to think I'm ready for something else in my life. I think we might have some kind of future together, although I don't know what it is. I can't even begin to think of it yet, but I know I want it."

 

A contented smile forms on Danny's lips. That will have to suffice for now. " That's all I needed to hear."

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